Apple iPad sales reassure pundits

Recent worries about how many iPads Apple would sell in the December quarter have been dispelled by strong sales reports in the US.

Strong sales of Apple's iPad in the US have reassured some analysts who feared it might face strong competition from the likes of Amazon's Kindle Fire. Photo credit: James Martin

Worries about iPad sales were beginning to pile up after Amazon unveiled its Kindle Fire in September. The biggest concern was that Apple was overdue for an iPad price cut.

However, some field work from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster may silence those fretting about iPad sales. Munster, who estimates Apple will sell 13.5 million units in the December quarter, concluded that the company's flagship stores were selling 68-percent more iPads per hour than a year ago. Specifically, Apple sold 14.8 iPads per hour at its retail stores. A year ago, Apple sold 8.8 iPads per hour on Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving shopping spree in the US.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Apple iPad sales worries appear overblown on ZDNet.com.